Indignation - DISCONTINUED
by Yirriru
Summary: Raine and Genis have come to Sylvarant through the Otherworldly Gate. As Raine wanders with baby Genis, they are unexpectedly separated by the desians, who take custody of Genis.
1. Chapter 1: This can't be Happening

**Me: So, here's my little twist of what happens to the sages when they come to Sylvarant! But what comes afterwards... only fate can tell...**

**Genis: Seriously yirriru? Why would you do this to us (or rather me and sis...)?**

**Me: Shut up. I have no reason not to. Whatever. *Sulks in corner***

**Genis: Oookaayyyy... yirriru doesn't own anything.**

Chapter One: This can't be happening

"Urgh..." A young girl groaned as she tried to focus on the world around her, grimacing at her throbbing head.

She then jolted and desperately looked around, her short silver hair messy with leaves stuck in it. Where was Genis and her mother?

Standing up, she saw a small baby boy a few meters away from her position, shivering on the ground.

"Genis!" She exclaimed as she dashed to the young boy's side.

Quickly glancing over him for any wounds, she picked him up and scanned the area.

She could sense that the mana wasn't the same from her home village.

The young boy clinged to her, whimpering. The silver haired girl sighed, remembering what had happened not too long ago.

"Mother..."

She shook her head, trying to keep herself from crying because the two of them were abandoned by their mother and their village.

The sun was already sinking in the horizon. It was already late and there was surely monsters hungry for defenseless children. Quickening her pace at the sound of wolves howling, she crashed into a person that ran out of nowhere.

"Argh!" A man's voice grunted. Raine gasped as the man's squinty, malicious eyes suddenly locked with hers."You inferior-"

He stopped mid-sentence, eyes quickly analysing the two children in front of him. He growled with agitation as he scanned the area, seeming to be searching for something or someone.

Clinking of armor could be heard. Soon, the two sages were completely surrounded by a group of half elves.

"W-what?" Raine stuttered as the squinty eyed man turned his gaze back on her, his face contorted with anger.

"Search the area for subject A012- and take the children too." The man whipped around, growling curses as he continued his pursuit.

"Yes Lord Kvar!" The troops bellowed as the majority of them scampered off in every direction. The few remaining grunted and quickly surrounded the two sages.

"Be good kiddies and come quietly. OR ELSE." A tall, young half elf said as he approached the two. Raine took a step back, obviously not wanting to walk off with strange, older men. Her mother had previously told her not to trust strangers because they could be dangerous.

An older half elf sighed. Young ones these days.

* * *

><p>Raine fidgeted as the desians motioned for her to follow. They had taken her brother away from her and they didn't intend to give him back anytime soon. Half of the men remaining had taken Genis away to a 'ranch'. It seems they split the siblings so that the older one wouldn't put up as much resistance knowing her younger brother is in their care.<p>

Soon after the first group had left, the group of men leading Raine began their trek.

"...So did you buy the new edition of 'What's hot in Palmacosta'?"

"Yeah dude! Pretty cool products - especially that banana suit... what?"

"A banana suit? Really? That was sooo last year. You should've seen the pickle suit! It was on sale too!"

"..." Raine sighed, hoping things would be okay, trying to ignore the mental image she had of the half elves wearing a banana or pickle suit.

Her captors continued their conversation, not paying attention to their task. The thickets nearby rustled before a blur of red zoomed out. They were ambushed and taken out quickly. It was a young man.

He was slightly panting, slightly wounded. His white garb had specks of red on it, but he seemed to pay no mind to it. His crimson eyes scanned the clearing, soon making eye contact with the young half elf. He paid no mind of her then turned to his companion, a young human woman with a strange gem attached to her, who was following him. She was heavily panting, eyes covered by her brunette hair.

"Anna, are you okay?" The russet haired man murmured. He glanced for any wounds on her, quickly healing them with first aid.

"Thanks Kratos." She smiled weakly. Noticing the young half elf, she approached her.

"Are you okay little girl? You don't seem to be acquaintances with the desians."

"...desians?" Raine tilted her head. So that's what they were called...

"We should get moving. Our pursuers have not let up yet." Kratos said softly.

"...Yes, we should but..." the brunette started before looking at Raine again. "I think we should bring this girl with us. Who knows what will happen to an innocent girl if she was left with the desians?"

Kratos sighed. Anna was right.

"...Let's hurry then. She can ride on Noishe next to you and Lloyd."

Genis, please be safe. I will return for you one day. Raine said to herself as the group hurried off, the darkness of night enveloping around them.

* * *

><p>As the group fled, Raine introduced herself to the two adults, whom in return introduced themselves. They were constantly travelling. Anna had shown Raine a map that she had with her.<p>

The previous day's encounter with the desians was near Ossa Trail. They had temporarily lost them there but they knew that had to continue on. Their pursuers were persistent.

A few weeks have past. They were coming closer to Iselia.

The outskirts of the town could be seen, as well as the forest adjacent to it. Anna was exhausted. Her complexion was waning and her eyes seemed dull and lifeless. Kratos looked stressed, constantly checking to see if an ambush was waiting around the corner.

"...There they are!" Kratos eyes darted to a group of 'merchants'. They unsheathed blades that the desians used. He paled as desians rushed out towards them.

"Noishe! To the Iselia Forest!" Noishe quickly sped off with Anna, Lloyd and Raine. Anna watched in horror as the small group of desians quickly turned into hordes. The lead 'merchant' took off his mask, revealing a familiar face.

"Quickly, after them!" Kvar hissed, taking out his staff.

Kratos rushed after Noishe into the forest. Had they gone to Iselia, the town would fall into ruins. They would then be cornered. He 'tched' before catching up to the dog-like creature.

"Kratos!" Anna cried, paled as she heard the shouts of their pursuers.

"..." Kratos grimaced.

The air crackled as a stream of lightning struck Noishe, causing the creature to topple over. The next moment, they were completely surrounded. Kvar walked to the front of his troops, smirking.

"You inferior beings- did you think you could get away?" Kvar hissed menacingly. "Now then, give me back what you've stolen from me you wench!"

Kratos was separated from the others; the desians rushing at him from every direction. Despite how much he slashed, for each desian he slew another two appeared. He tried cutting his way to Anna, whom Kvar was quickly approaching. The only thing that was keeping the desians at bay from the others was Noishe.

"_Sacred powers, cast your purifying light upon these corrupt souls. Rest in peace, sinners_!"

"_Judgement!_"

Many of the desians fell, instantly defeated by Kratos's angelic powers. Kratos then turned to Anna.

"It's too late!" Kvar sneered as he pulled at the exphere on Anna's hand.

"NO!"

She screamed, mutating into a monstrous form. Roaring, she attempted to rip Lloyd in half, but Noishe blocked the child, yelping as it crashed to the floor. Kratos watching in horror as Anna turned towards him.

"_Kratos... please..._"

"No... no... Anna..."

"_Please... kill me...please..."_

"..." Kratos choked as he closed his eyes.

"_Kratos... thank you for everything. You gave me hope. A family. Please... kill me when I am still myself... I wouldn't be able to stand hurting you._"

"Anna... I-"

She rushed towards him.

"_I love you Kratos._"

Pierced with Kratos's blade, she toppled over, destroying the cliff that Noishe, Raine and Lloyd have been left on.

"ANNA!"

They fell.

Kvar swore as he lost the angelus project that was still attached to Anna.

"Kill him"

The remaining desians rushed Kratos, keeping him from descending the cliff after his family.

As another desian fell, Kvar growled, instantly commanding them to retreat. He would get the angelus project another time.

Kratos released his wings, diving off the cliff to the grounds below.

He desperately scanned the forest grounds.

"Anna! Lloyd! Raine!" He called for them, his hope slowly dying away. He searched for them but only found the partially eaten bodies of desians.

Hours have past and there were no signs of his companions.

"Kratos."

Kratos lifeless gaze shifted to a blond man wearing a tight white suit.

"...Yggdrasill."

"It's too late. They are gone. Come, I have things planned for you." Yggdrasill turned away before warping away.

Kratos gazed at the ground once more. His family was dead. All that was left was emptiness.

"I'm sorry Anna. Lloyd..." He whispered, closing his eyes as he warped off.

**Me: *Cries* I'm so sorry Kratos, but I had no choice.**

**Lloyd: How could you do that to dad!**

**Me: Shut up you! You're not supposed to know he's your dad... yet.**

**Lloyd: ...mom...dad...**

**Genis: Nice going yirriru.**

**Me: Ahh - BTW, Genis is gonna make an appearance in the next chapter!**

**Genis: Wow, you get over things really fast.**

**Me: Ignored - anyway, you may see some cruxis and desian stuff. Hope you enjoyed chapter one!**


	2. Chapter 2: You can't be Serious Right?

**Me: So here is chapter 2! For a while, I was pondering whether I should make the chapters longer (5000+ words) but I think I'll keep them from between 2000-5000 words. That way, I'll be able to make cliffhangers!**

**Genis: So you say... but I highly doubt it'll do any better than what you already tried...**

**Me: *Smacks Genis silly* Anyway, there's a time skip since last chapter~!**

**Genis: Augh! Why am I the target of abuse? I thought that was Zelos' role!**

**Zelos: Shut up you brat.**

**Genis: Ugh. Whatever already... yirriru doesn't own anything.**

**EDIT: I'm probably going to stop with these introductions since I'm so awkward at making them. Hahahaha...**

Chapter 2: You can't be serious, right?

"Could things get any more irritating than they already are?" A silver haired boy groaned, stalking down a dirt pathway. He wore a black and blue outfit. The upper shirt he wore was blue with a black trim that had slits on the sleeves and was slightly baggy. Under that, he wore a black tank top. His pants were also blue with a black trim.

It was a relatively hot day, not to mention that his boss had forced him to go to the Iselia Human Ranch. There wasn't really anything in particular that bothered him since he would actually be able to work once in his life. Frowning, he approached the gates. They towered over him, probably six meters and were quite sturdy. Genis' light blue eye traced the gates before resting on the cliff that was adjacent to it. Somehow, the setup of this ranch bothered him but he shrugged it off. He wasted enough time checking out the ranch. Genis then walked forward and pounded on the gate and peered through the metal bars. A low ranking desian soon appeared.

"You! What are you doing? The ranch is off limits to you and your inferior beings residing in Iselia. Get lost!"

"Pardon?" Genis raised his eyebrow, frowning.

"You heard me, beat it kid."

"I have business with Grand Cardinal Forcystus."

"You gotta be kidding me. Like what?" The desian laughed, not taking Genis seriously.

"Are those ears of your only for decoration? I have business with the Grand Cardinal, not _you_." Genis scoffed. This was going nowhere. Forcystus was probably waiting, if not taking his regular naps when he thought no one was watching. Why did the desian think he was from that village filled with humans?

"Why you-"

Genis leaped backwards, out of the range of the desians saber. He groaned before leaping once more out of the way of the blade. The lower ranking desian troops were easy to bait, which definitely wasn't a good thing. Genis groaned again as he saw more troops bustling out the gates to see what was going on. Great, he definitely screwed up. Of all days to shut off the teleporter, why did Forcystus pick today? As of the moment, he had very few options. A) He beat up Forcystus' troops and get his butt whipped by the cardinal, B)He ran away and not get anything done, C) He try to reason with the angry mob or D)He run through the entire ranch like a convict, hoping not to get seriously injured. He didn't really like his options, but he decided to settle for option C before doing option A. As Genis opened his mouth to attempt reasoning with the angry mob, a blur of red smashed one of the desians that was going to slash Genis from behind.

"Are you okay?" A voice grunted. Genis turned to see a boy a few years older than he was. He had spiky brown hair and wore a lot of red. He didn't seem like the average person you'd come across in a normal town, but Genis would soon find out that this boy wasn't quite normal at all.

"What the-? What in the world are you doing? I-" Genis yelled.

"-could handle this myself? Yeah right." The boy rolled his eyes before focusing on the other desians surrounding them.

"That wasn't what I was going to say but, yes, I CAN handle this by myself. I-"

"No way! How can you handle fighting a mob of desians if you're that SCRAWNY, not to mention that you fight with a kendama! How can you protect yourself?"

"That was rather rude AND I don't _need_ your help! Just go away, human!"

"Dwarven Vow #2, Never abandon someone in need!"

"What in the world are YOU talking about? You're the one that's in need of a brain and new ears!"

Bickering with the red clad swordsman was going nowhere, just like Genis' previous conversation. More desians flooded out the gates, which didn't help Genis' situation at all. Genis groaned. He had to retreat before things could get messy. He rushed towards the cliff and leaped. Shouts could be heard from behind him, but he paid no mind to it. Getting away from the confusion was his only option since that boy interrupted him. At this rate, he doubt Forcystus would be glad to see him. He probably would check the surveillance and see how much trouble he caused.

As he landed, Genis sighed. A soft thud sounded behind him. He then whipped around to face that not-so-bright boy clad in red. Great.

"Things were looking pretty bad up there. Good thing I finished off the guys who saw both of our faces!" He smiled.

"Don't talk to me. I don't need want to be associated with some human." Genis turned away, hoping that the swordsman would leave him be.

"Why did you go to the human ranch anyway?"

"..."

"Did you know about the non-aggression treaty Iselia has with ranch? To me, it doesn't appear that you do though, seeing that I haven't seen your face before."

"..."

"By the way, my name is Lloyd! Nice to meet 'cha!"

"..."

"You look a bit younger than me... do you live nearby?"

"..."

"What kind of hobbies do you have? And why do you fight with a kendama?"

"..."

"You look similar to my teacher. Are you-"

"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

"-...eh? What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? I want to know why you're bothering me and why you keep questioning me even though I already told you I don't want to talk to you!"

"... 'cuz I was curious and I want to be friends with you?"

"Friends? With YOU? No thanks. Leave me alone and stop following me."

"Wow. You're really uptight. Sheesh. But we're probably heading in the same direction anyway. At least tell me why you don't like me. I have the right to know that at least don't I?"

Genis turned towards the human boy and locked his azure eyes with curious chestnut ones. He might as well confront him and give him a reason, otherwise he'd be tailed across Sylvarant.

"One, I hate humans. Two, you're annoying. Three, you treated me like a defenseless puppy and thought I couldn't protect myself."

"Oh, sorry 'bout that. You looked like you were having trouble."

Genis twitched. He wasn't having any trouble at all. He just didn't want to injure Forcystus' men since he knew there would be consequences for doing so.

"You're heading towards Triet aren't you?"

"...and if I am?"

"Alright. I'm gonna walk with you till we get to the outskirts of Iselia. There might be monsters on the way, so travelling together is better than by oneself!"

"Whatever. Do what you want." Genis grunted.

Lloyd grinned before running after the short half elf.

* * *

><p>It was late evening.<p>

Genis had left Lloyd hours ago and was relatively happy about it. His mind wandered as he tried to figure out what actions he should take next. Even though he was heading towards Triet to retrieve some supplies that was accidentally sent there, he didn't want to travel back from there to the Iselia Human Ranch. Pondering a moment, Genis figured that it'd be wise to stay in Iselia then go to the ranch since he would eventually end up going to Triet. Sighing, Genis turned towards Iselia. He didn't like going to human infested towns but he had no other choice.

When Genis arrived in Iselia, it was relatively quiet, besides the children that were still playing. Genis smiled, seeing how Iselia had an 'earthy' feel to it. The village guard stopped the half elf for a moment, then nodded. Perhaps he mistaken Genis for an elf. There was no way that a human wouldn't hate on a half elf when he seen him. As Genis walked further in, he saw a face he rather have not seen.

Kratos.

The russet haired 'mercenary' didn't seem to notice the small half elf. He was chatting with what looked like the mayor of Iselia and an old woman. Guessing from the information that Yggdrasill had told him about the chosen's journey, he assumed that the old woman is related to the chosen.

"Better get out of here before Kratos notices me." Genis murmured, but collided with a passerby and fell to the ground.

"Ouch!" Oh no. That voice...

"Hmm? Oh! Hey, you're that guy from the forest!" Lloyd grinned.

"So, you decided to come to Iselia to rest or something? I'd hate to break it to you but the inn was filled when I checked it out. Why don't you come with me to my dad's place? We should have room where I live!"

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'll just camp out somewhere else."

"Aww, come on. It shouldn't be that bad should it? Dad's a kind guy."

Genis opened his mouth to object but decided not to. No point in arguing. Looking at Lloyd, he sighed.

"Fine. But don't get too friendly with me or I'll burn you to a crisp."

"Alright! Before we go, can we visit Colette? I almost forgot to give her her birthday prese- What the-! It broke!" The brunet exclaimed. He looked crestfallen for a moment, but then turned to Genis with a determined look.

"Colette is going off on her journey tomorrow, so I'll just fix up the necklace tonight and give it to her tomorrow!"

"Um, okay." Lloyd then dragged Genis in the direction of his house in the Iselia forest.

* * *

><p>At Dirk's house, Lloyd began fixing his charm for the girl named Colette, who happened to visit Lloyd that night with Kratos. Apparently, Lloyd was planning to go on the journey with Colette, Kratos and a person named Raine. For Genis, he didn't want to be seen by Kratos for many reasons.<p>

The following morning, Genis awoke by the sound of the birds singing. Groggy and exhausted, he glanced around. Lloyd was splayed all over his bed, snoring and murmuring something about Colette, but Genis didn't want to know. Yawning, Genis decided to exit the house before the human woke up. Downstairs, the dwarf was nowhere to be seen. The half elf boy sighed in relief. At least he wouldn't have to deal with any more interactions for a while. Grabbing his belongings, Genis exited Dirk's house and headed towards the Iselia Human Ranch once more.

* * *

><p>"Who's there?" A gruff voice asked.<p>

"Genis."

"Hmph, come in."

The gates leading into the Iselia Human Ranch opening, this time without trouble.

As one of the desians led Genis to Forcystus' office, Genis sighed. Honestly, he had no clue why he was sent to this ranch. He spent a lot of time in the Asgard Human Ranch and at a base near Triet. As Genis entered Forcystus' office, he noted that the man he was suppose to visit wasn't even there. Genis had to stop himself from smashing his head into the desk near him. When he peered at the desk, he saw a note.

_To Genis._

_If you are reading this letter at this very moment, you can probably tell that I am not there. I have gone to punish those insolent inferior beings of Iselia for killing my troops the previous day. I would also like to apologize for the behaviour of my troops. I will be back later today. As for the reason you were sent here, it was to get to know your superiors. Other than that, there is nothing else to discuss. You do not have to wait for me to return. I had my men ready a teleport back to Welgaia. Lord Yuan has a job for you._

_-Grand Cardinal Forcystus_

"Wow." Genis sighed, trying to rub away an incoming headache. Returning to the hallway, he glanced around. The inside of this ranch appeared the same as the one near Luin. Finding nothing in particular that interest him, Genis had one of the desian troops lead him to the teleporter. After saying a small thanks to the troop, Genis teleported away.

Arriving at Welgaia, Genis glanced around. Yuan wasn't in the vicinity. Genis stretched, feeling stiff. Perhaps now would be a good chance for him to check out Welgaia and "search" for Lord Yuan. Although he's been to many places around Sylvarant, he hasn't been brought to Welgaia often. Maybe it was because he wasn't in a high enough position to go there often or that he was "too young". Although he had been excited to visit Welgaia, there wasn't much too see. Everything was white and the place felt too... still. Even though there were angels floating around, they barely responded, not to mention they felt lifeless. Their stares sent chills down Genis' spine. Not wanting to spend more time near the angels, Genis hasten his search for Lord Yuan.

"Genis."

The young half elf ceased his search. Turning to his left, he saw a half elf with long turquoise hair put into a ponytail. He wore a cloak as usual.

"Oh, f- Lord Yuan. I heard you have a job for me?" The young half elf murmured, his heart thumping loudly in his chest. Lord Yuan always seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Hmm, yes, I have a job for you. Come with me. This should be discussed away from... curious ears." Yuan's emerald eyes seemed to focus on something in one of the windows in Welgaia, narrowing with irritation.

"Yes."

Yuan spun away, indicating that he would be going to his office in the base near Triet. Genis felt a small smile urging its way to his face but smothered the feeling. He then quickly followed after Yuan into the teleporter.

* * *

><p>"Wait, you mean..."<p>

"Yes, I want you become Lloyd Irving's companion. From what I heard, he will be travelling with the chosen's group."

"You can't mean the Lloyd with brown spiky hair and is dressed in red... right?" Genis could feel himself twitching.

"Oh good, it seems that you've already met him. That makes things much more easier. You know what to do."

"I understand." Genis felt his shoulders sag, his excitement instantly killed.

"Good. Make sure to report to me anything of importance. Don't let the others catch on."

"...Okay." Genis sighed, but soon felt his spirit return.

"I'll let you know when I join his group. Cya!" Genis grinned before rushing out the door.

"..." Yuan stared at where the young half elf was once standing, although he was long gone.

"Genis..." The cerulean haired half elf sighed. Looking at the monitor in front of him, he glanced at the profile pictures of the chosen's group. He could only hope that Yggdrasill wouldn't catch onto his ploy.

**Genis: Hey, I thought I was taken in by desians.**

**Me: Taken in but remember, Yuan is part of Cruxis and stuff - but I'll add more about you later.**

**Genis: …**

**Lloyd: Alright! Genis gets to join us on the journey! At least we get to be friends still!**

**Genis: Haha, I guess that's what I like about you Lloyd.**

**Lloyd: Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3: A Change for the Better

**Hi - sorry for the super late update... It's been months since I last wrote for this and I don't know how things will continue from here honestly. It's hard for me to continue writing this one since it starts early in the story, similar to my Regeneration of the World fic. For people who read it before I did some minor changes at the end of chapter 2. Though I don't think they'd really effect the whole plot and stuff... that's about it now. **

**I'd like to know how many people want me to continue this one otherwise I might have it up for adoption or be discontinued.**

**Chapter Three: A Change for the Better**

I sighed. So I just happened to miss the group I needed to travel with. Well, surely it wouldn't be that bad would it? I heard they were heading towards the fire seal a couple days ago but who knows how old that information is?

As I entered Triet, I noticed the increased activity of the area. The chosen must've arrived already then. I sighed again, feeling the heat of the sand through my shoes. Though I've been brought to various locations around Sylvarant, I was never allowed to go into towns, which is very strange. I glint off to the side caught my attention. I probably should be looking for the boy in red, but...

As I approached the shiny object, it turned out to be a mirror. Picking it up, I looked at my myself. Mid length silver hair, azure eyes. Clad in black and blue. I frowned at my appearance. It definitely wasn't something a sylvaranti would have. Or was it? Based on all the people I've seen, they had more ordinary clothes. But I was an exception because I wasn't a typical person now was I? I am a desian, or rather, was a desian? I should really figure out what stance I'm going to take since I'll soon be facing some familiar people.

I considered myself a desian for how many years but I have been doing tasks for Yuan. Tasks that definitely didn't match the goals the desians had in general. Not that I would say what exactly they were since, well, they would probably end up with him being imprisoned and me most likely dead. Although I've been living a 'desian' life, I actually don't know a lot about it, besides the basic ideologies they have. I spent most of my time learning magic and self defense from Yuan and Botta. Probably years by now. Maybe that explains my lack of knowledge on the desians. I can't say that I'm against them when I don't fully know what they're striving to do. All I know is that it's suppose to be related to helping the world but as far as I know that is a lie. I sighed. It doesn't help that some of the desian cardinals can recognize who I am... which brings me to my conversation with Yuan a few days ago.

I know he wanted me to join the chosen's group but, how in the world would I be able to join it if Kratos is with them? If I can recognize him, what is the odds that he wouldn't be able to recognize me? Though I haven't interacted much with him, I know he's someone related to the desians, maybe one of the cheif desians? My memory is hazy but I am sure he's someone of importance to Cruxis...

I groaned quite loudly, gaining a few glances from passerbyers. Maybe I should do something about my appearance and my 'weapon', not that I actually used it when I fight. It's just something I usually have since I tend to get bored hanging out at the human ranches. I actually fight with daggers and throwing knives. Not that anyone really cared though or even have to know. Yuan told me that since I was most likely to be the first in the group to be targeted for appearing weak and useless, I might as well have a few surprises up my sleve, such as strong magic spell and some assassination techniques. Definitely goes against that stereotype that all mages are slow and are useless when they have to defend themselves.

I heard a cry a distance behind me, which caused me to flinch and drop the mirror I was looking at. Turning, I saw a group of three; Kratos, a silver haired woman and a blond, who was standing up from the huge hole that she most likely made. Must be the chosen's group but... WHERE IS LLOYD? How in the world am I suppose to join them if I have no connections with them whatsoever? I can't be like 'hey Kratos, I know who you are so let me join you okay?' or 'I'm a mage and I know where every single seal is so let me join you'! By having that connection with Lloyd, hopefully he'd remember me and let me join them but first... I need to do something about my appearance...

...

This is ridiculous. Triet has nothing when it comes to hair dye, contact lenses and other stuff I would need. Great. I growled with frustration as I checked the stalls again. Well, I guess I can't say they have nothing when I haven't checked the shops deeper in the place. The chosen's group was hanging out there for quite some time and had only decided to go to the inn moments earlier. Now that the coast was clear, I peered into one of the tents that was adorn with stones.

"Welcome kiddo. What d'you need?" A middle aged man with a long brown beard inquired, giving me a hearty smile.

"Well, I need hair dye and contact lenses. Do you know where I can buy travelling clothes?"

"Sure kiddo! I got all ya need. Any specific colors y' want?"

"Anything that would make me blend better with the people around the continent."

"Huh. How about a reddish brown for your hair and a matching color for yur eyes?" I felt my eye twitch. I do NOT want Kratos related colors. Or Lloyd for a matter of fact. Not. At. All. I shook my head, declining the colors.

"Hmm, what about a platinum blond hue for yur hair and a piercin' emerald for yur eyes?"

"I guess the emerald contacts would be okay but for the hair, can it be black? I don't see many people with platinum hair."

"Hahaha, guess so kiddo! Now for yur clothes... Isn't the clothes yur wearing good 'nough for traveller's clothes? Maybe get rid o' that coat thing and keep the tank with the shorts? Put some o' the belts I've got 'ere." I nodded slowly.

"How much is it going to cost?"

"Hmm... about, let's see... 1...2...3... about 4,000 gald overall." I checked my wallet. Good thing I saved all my earnings.

"Here." With that, the man brought me to the back where he'd dye my hair black and contacts. The contacts came with a few supplies to ensure I could reuse them. It surprised me that I didn't have to take out the contacts when I sleep or when I swim. Apparently they were a new creation. For my dyed hair, he said it'd stay like that. Only way to get my previous hair color is just by letting my hair grow out naturally. For my clothes, I took off the upper layer shirt, leaving a well fitting tank top. That black tank top was tucked into my baggy shorts. I got various belts to hold my supplies and my stash of knives. Two sheathes were attached to each of my sides on the belts so I would have easy access to the daggers. The man also gave me fingerless gloves, saying that it'd match my attire, no cost to me. With that, I said farewell to the man.

Outside, I noticed I got fewer looks from the humans here. Looks like the outfit is actually working. In my bag, I pulled out my kendama and started bouncing it up and down as I searched the vicinity for a certain brown haired boy. The sun was sinking a bit now. Feeling my stomach growl a bit, I searched for a stall that was selling food. Further in Triet, I bought enough ingredients to make a sandwich. As the cashier thanked me for my purchases, I heard a loud group make its way towards me. Desians. I was about to hide but then I realized that they wouldn't be able to recognize me, so there was no point. Listening to their conversation, they said something about a wanted criminal. Shrugging, I streched before turning around and bumping into someone that wore tons of red.

"Ack!" Yup. That has to be him. I picked myself up from the already cooling sand, brushing off the bits that clinged onto my clothes.

"You're... Lloyd right?" I asked, feeling awkward. He probably doesn't remember me at all.

"...Huh? Yeah, that's me. And you are... Whoa! You're that guy from Iselia Forest! What's up with your appearance?" Lloyd's face scrunches up with confusion. Guess I could tell that was going to happen.

"Genis. Genis err... Ka-Fai. If I knew we were going to meet again, I probably would've told you my name earlier." Sorry Yuan. Hopefully Lloyd doesn't introduce me to the chosen's group using my full name.

"Hahah, nice to meet you Genis, well... meet you again!" The chestnut haired boy grinned. I managed to give him a smile, though most of it was faked.

"Now, do you mind telling me what's up with your appearance? I only recognized you by your voice."

"Well, I stood out too much and I'd prefer if people didn't stare at me." That much was true since I wasn't stared at all at the desian bases.

"I see. If that's the case, then I guess I get your point. Oh! Just wondering but, did you see a blond girl that travelled with a silver haired woman and a mercenary that wears purple? I'm searching for that group and I'm pretty sure they're here."

Bingo. Nodding, I explained to Lloyd that I saw them earlier in the day. They were resting at the inn most likely and we could probably catch up to them. While I was at it, I asked if I could join Lloyd and his companions. He agreed but said he'd have to check with them if they were okay with it, hinting that they were most likely to be okay with it.

As we were heading towards the inn, we heard a loud 'halt'. Turning, we came face to face with the group of desians that were patrolling the town.

"You-! You're wanted criminal 0074, Lloyd Irving!" He's the wanted criminal that they were looking for? Geeze, that _certainly_ is wonderful!

We step away, drawing our weapons. The nearby people screamed as they ran away, knowing things could get ugly. The desian with crossbow aims his weapon at me while the other two with blades rush towards Lloyd. I rolled out of the way, pulling a throwing knife out and embedding it into the desian's hand, causing him to grunt. Lloyd meanwhile was deflecting the attacks the other two were making on him, occasionally sending a demon fang here and there to create space.

I barely noticed the sound of a door opening and the footsteps of people approaching.

"L-Lloyd!" It was the voice of a girl. With a quick glance, it was the same blond girl from earlier today. The silver hair woman quickly took a stance, probably casting healing magic. Kratos rushed into battle, breaking the fight into one on one battles.

As they took care of the swordsmen, I quickly chanted the incantation for flame lance. Feeling an arrow sink into my shoulder, I continued the incantation, my concentration not broken.

"Flame Lance!" As the desian screamed as he got burned, our battle quickly ended.

I pulled the arrow out, flinching at the pain, while Lloyd regrouped with his friends. As I tossed it to the sand, I joined him, causing the others to look at me.

"-and guys, this is Genis! We met awhile ago at Iselia. You guys wouldn't mind him joining us in the journey right?" The blond haired girl happily chirped her approval while Kratos and the silver haired healer thought about it.

"If it's what the chosen desires, so be it." 3 okays, one undecided. I turned to the healer, noting that she was a half elf just like me.

"It should be fine since he will be able to aid us during the fights though... I am wondering how long he will be traveling with us and for what reason."

"Aww, come on professor! Can't we do that later? Shouldn't we head off to release the seals?" Lloyd whined a bit. In response, the healer shook her head.

"It's a bit late to be traveling right now. We were about to discuss our travel plans until we heard the commotion outside." With that, the elder of the chosen's group returned inside the in, us following her.

Inside, they split the room arrangement so the healer, who was called Raine, would room with the chosen, Colette. Kratos would have his own room while I shared a room with Lloyd. It was a bit late now, so they decided that Raine and Kratos will make a plan while the rest of us could relax. Colette joined us in our room, hoping to get to know me better.

"So Genis, can you tell us about yourself? You seem to be younger than us by a few years." The red clad swordsman asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, that's a very vague question and I'm not too sure what exactly you'd want to know. As for my age, I'm twelve." Ignoring the surprise evident on their faces, I continued. "Just to let you guys know... I'm a half elf. Since we'll be traveling together, you might as well know this." Once again, they showed some surprise.

"Oh! That would explain why you can use magic." Colette chirped. Her eyes suddenly lit up as she asked me a question. "You wouldn't mind being friends with us would you?"

"U-um, no. Not at all." They wanted to be friends with me? A half elf? That's a bit hard to believe.

"Moving on, can you tell me what kind of hobbies you have and uhh, I guess the skill you have as well?" Lloyd asked, trying to figure out a way to ask questions without sounding stupid.

"Well, I enjoy reading for one -" I ignored the look of horror that was on Lloyd's face. He probably doesn't like to study. "- and I also enjoy cooking. I can use magic, as you saw earlier, and my weapon of choice are daggers and knives."

"Eh? I thought you fought with a kendama!" Lloyd exclaims.

"Um. No. If I did, I'd probably be dead already. I used the kendama as a source of entertainment when I'm waiting for people or if I need a distraction."

"Oh. That makes sense." I prevented myself from rolling my eyes at Lloyd.

Our conversation continued for a long time. I learned a lot about Lloyd, Colette, as well as their stories about Raine and the little they knew about Kratos. With us feeling exhausted, we all retired to our rooms (only Colette actually) and prepared to rest.

While Lloyd snored softly, I pondered about the journey I was joining in. Somehow, I felt a bit guilty about the task I was suppose to carry out. Yuan told me specifically prior to our meeting about his plan. Now it was my job to carry out that plan. I grimaced. I finally found humans that accepted me and now... I would be the one who would betray them.

I closed my eyes, thinking about the task I needed to fulfill. I could feel my resolve slipping. Even though I only knew them for a short while, the awkwardness I originally felt was no longer there. There was that irritating feeling of hope that I could be friends with them. So many different hopes that were ignited by those hours of talking and sharing thoughts. I clenched my fists.

I mustn't forget my original goal, no matter how much I realize it may hurt me and the people around me. Even if it meant I had to forfeit my new friendship with these people.

All in order to save the world by assassinating Colette.

**- Chapter Three END -**


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